Chapter 152: Courtesy Demands Reciprocity

Niu Youdao turned toward the three men. “Everything go smoothly along the road?”

“Smoothly.”

All three nodded and took out the maps they had carried with them. Every relay station they had investigated along the way had been marked.

Niu Youdao had them combine all three sets of markings onto a single map, questioning them carefully as they worked.

Over the past three days, the three men had checked more than seventy relay stations.

Only a little over ten of them had recently taken on new relay attendants. Even so, the result immediately drew Niu Youdao’s full attention. Zhao Da had not been the only recent arrival.

Along these three routes alone, more than ten newcomers had appeared at relay stations in the recent past. The number did not look large.

But to Niu Youdao, who was specifically watching for this, it was more than enough to raise alarm.

He took out a charcoal pencil and placed conspicuous marks at the locations of those relay stations. Then he stared at the map and considered.

Were these simply new men added to existing relay-station staffing because people were searching for him? Or had they been specifically planted because of him? The distinction was enormous.

It determined both how many people had been mobilized and how densely they had been deployed. At first he could see no pattern.

The stations were not all positioned near forks in the road like the one where Zhao Da had been stationed. Gradually, however, something emerged.

Niu Youdao used the charcoal pencil to circle the entire area the three men had investigated.

Then he held the pencil sideways and shaded over most of the region within the circle, blotting out the visual clutter and leaving only narrow corridors following the roads.

Once the chaotic interference disappeared and only the major routes remained visible, the situation became much clearer. Even the others gradually began to see it.

Black Peony pointed at the map. “These placement points were chosen very carefully.”

“Master Dao, look here.”

“No matter how these nearby roads intersect, anyone entering or leaving this region must pass through at least one of these relay stations.”

“The other positions are much the same.”

“Arranged this way, there’s no need to plant someone at every relay station. They can save an enormous amount of manpower.”

Niu Youdao gave a slight nod. He saw it too. That meant these were not simply ordinary staffing additions at relay stations. They had been specially positioned for him. That fit his suspicions better.

If Yan had planted personnel in every relay station, how much manpower would that consume?

Its intelligence personnel could hardly abandon all larger responsibilities merely to hunt one Niu Youdao.

Yuan Fang blinked. “Then this actually makes things easier.”

“We only need to predict which relay stations along our route are likely to contain their people and avoid those. We wouldn’t have to keep stopping and detouring around every station.”

“That isn’t realistic,” Niu Youdao said.

“First, we don’t know the roads well enough. We don’t know the exact locations of every relay station in advance. Usually we only see them once we’re already nearby.”

He pointed to one longer road.

“Look here. There are three relay stations along this route. Only because we investigated afterward do we know their man was planted in the station on the left.”

“Could you have identified that one by sight beforehand?”

“Second, many relay stations along the road are built beside bridges and riverbanks.”

“A person can cross a river by stepping over the waves. What about horses?”

“Make a huge detour every time?”

“Wouldn’t that exhaust us?”

“If we truly intend to travel that way, there’s no point riding horses at all. We may as well move on foot with lightness techniques.”

Yuan Fang scratched his neck and chuckled sheepishly. He had simply not thought it through that far.

Black Peony and the others were more puzzled by something else. Where exactly was Niu Youdao trying to go? He clearly had no intention of traveling on foot.

Instead, he seemed determined to solve the relay-station problem, which plainly meant he was preparing for a long-distance journey. How far did he intend to travel?

Where was he going?

Niu Youdao added, “There’s another issue.”

“Who can guarantee every place will match our deductions exactly?”

“Who can guarantee there won’t be extra personnel planted somewhere unexpected?”

Black Peony asked, “Master Dao, then what do you intend?”

Niu Youdao replied calmly, “Courtesy demands reciprocity. If I didn’t know, that would be one thing. Now that I do, I’ll clear out all these eyes.”

Duan Hu looked doubtful. “Master Dao, relying on just the few of us to do that seems impossible.”

“Of course we can’t do it ourselves. Against an organization like this, neither we nor an ordinary sect possesses the strength to fight it. The wealth and manpower available behind them are beyond what we can imagine. The Liuxian Sect, Lingxiu Mountain, and Fuyun Sect only had to send a handful of people to force us into a miserable flight. The power behind this network can mobilize far more cultivation sects than those three, and far more experts than the few we encountered. If we jump out and try to smash it head-on, that is nothing but seeking death. We wouldn’t accomplish anything meaningful either. At most, we would shake the web, alert the snake by striking the grass, and catch only a few.”

Black Peony asked, “Then what do we do?”

“We let people with enough power to balance them handle it.” Niu Youdao pointed at Duan Hu and Wu Sanliang. “I’ll have to trouble the two of you with another trip.”

Both cupped their hands. “Master Dao, please give the order.”

“Leave immediately for the capital of the State of Zhao. Do not stop along the way. Reach the capital as quickly as possible. Once there, find five people: Zhuge Xun, envoy of the State of Han; Tu Huaiyu, envoy of the State of Song; Chu Xiangyu, envoy of the State of Jin; Sui Pai, envoy of the State of Wei; and Zuo Annian, envoy of the State of Qi. When you find them, don’t say anything unnecessary. Simply tell them the story of how the State of Yan’s secret agents have been planted throughout the relay-station system. Do not say whom the network is targeting. They’ll understand the danger themselves and will naturally warn their own courts as quickly as possible and have them investigate.”

In truth, Niu Youdao had originally only been worried about the road through the State of Han. His destination lay inside the State of Han. But if he acted only against the Han route, it might reveal the direction of his travel. So he might as well drag every state into the matter and muddy the waters. It cost him nothing.

As for whether the State of Yan truly had similar arrangements in all the other states, Niu Youdao did not know. But once those governments reacted, even if their investigations did not force every danger to retreat, at minimum they would alert the snake by striking the grass. Any hidden eyes along his future route would be frightened into lying low. Then he could travel without constantly worrying about this particular threat. Otherwise, just look at the present situation. This one problem alone had already delayed his journey for days and left him afraid to move. The force behind the opposing side was simply too vast. No matter how confident Niu Youdao was, he was not arrogant enough to imagine that his handful of people could collide with it head-on.

Black Peony and the others looked faintly surprised. They had no idea who most of these foreign envoys were.

Such people lay outside the circles they normally paid attention to.

Niu Youdao, however, rattled off every name and state without hesitation.

Someone who had mixed in official affairs truly did possess a different breadth of knowledge.

Wu Sanliang was visibly worried. “Master Dao, with identities like ours, they may not agree to see us.”

“We may not even get through their doors.”

Duan Hu nodded. The concern was reasonable. These were not ordinary men.

Powerful guards surrounded them openly and covertly, making them difficult to approach. Nor would such figures agree to meet just anyone.

Niu Youdao said, “Don’t worry.”

“When you call on them, use my name.”

“Tell them Niu Youdao sent you with a message. They’ll see you.”

Black Peony and the others exchanged looks. You have that much face? In truth, it had little to do with face. Niu Youdao had met all five of them.

Everyone had been present on the night of the Jinzhou incident.

Niu Youdao knew that if he asked them to perform some major favor, they might refuse.

But if someone came in his name merely to deliver an intriguing piece of information, every one of them would be curious enough to hear it.

Black Peony asked, “Master Dao, how do they rendezvous with us afterward?”

Niu Youdao pointed to the map and tapped one location.

“Beishan County.”

“After leaving the capital, the two of you go directly there and wait for us at the largest inn in the county seat.”

“Understood.”

Both men nodded. Niu Youdao then asked for paper and brush.

In front of everyone, he wrote a letter in characters none of them could understand and handed it to Yuan Fang.

“Disguise yourself and leave for Star-Plucking City immediately.”

“Find the Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion shop there and ask for the resident shopkeeper.”

“Give my name and have them send this letter to the Provincial Inspector’s Residence in Jinzhou.”

“After that, don’t come back here.”

“Return directly to the Prince’s side and wait for me.”

Black Peony and the others quietly exchanged glances. First Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion. Then the Provincial Inspector’s Residence in Jinzhou.

Then “the Prince.”

So he really did possess a substantial background. No wonder merely giving his name would be enough to meet five foreign envoys. Still, one thing puzzled them.

Myriad Caves Heavenly Mansion was one of the State of Zhao’s major cultivation sects.

If Niu Youdao possessed ties at that level, why had those three smaller factions been able to chase him around so miserably?

Whatever the answer, the information hidden in his words made Black Peony and the others inwardly straighten. Their hopes for the future rose sharply.

As long as they followed Master Dao closely, these connections he had just revealed would naturally become part of the background sheltering them as well. That was far more valuable than founding some tiny sect.

A newly established minor sect would find it extremely difficult to enter circles like these. Existing powers would exclude it.

Now, by stumbling along after Niu Youdao, they seemed to have found a shortcut instead. The thought left several of them secretly delighted. Only Lei Zongkang lowered his head slightly, ashamed. His vision had been shallow. He had possessed eyes but failed to recognize the truth.

How he regretted not listening to Black Peony from the beginning.

Yet in fairness, once the Liuxian Sect fixed its sights on him, he had possessed few real choices given his circumstances at the time.

As for Niu Youdao, revealing these connections openly before the group was deliberate.

He was about to send them off separately to carry out tasks.

If he wanted them to exert themselves fully and avoid unnecessary accidents, he needed to let them understand something and see enough hope to commit themselves.

Yuan Fang froze. “Master Dao, I’ll just come find you again afterward.”

The more he traveled beside Niu Youdao, the more confidence he had in Master Dao’s abilities.

He no longer believed staying beside Niu Youdao was particularly dangerous. This journey had opened his eyes. He wanted to keep following and see more.

Niu Youdao shook his head. “Have you forgotten that book I showed you at the Inviting Moon Inn?”

“I won’t remain here waiting for you.”

“Once we split up, communication along the road will be inconvenient and it may be difficult to meet again quickly.”

“We also don’t know how much strength the people hunting me have committed in this region.”

“I don’t trust you wandering around alone.”

“And take out the money you’re carrying. I need it for business along the road.”

At the mention of the Record of Strange Beasts, Yuan Fang shuddered slightly and nodded repeatedly.

“All right.”

Then he asked, “But how am I supposed to report back to you?”

The moment he heard Niu Youdao needed money, however, his heart groaned again.

Just thinking about the way this man spent made his flesh ache.

What a prodigal!

Still, Yuan Fang had no authority to decide. Reluctantly, he took out the money.

“I’ve already made arrangements in the letter. You don’t need to worry about it.”

Niu Youdao counted out eighty full-denomination gold drafts and handed them to Black Peony for safekeeping. He left the remainder with Yuan Fang. Once everything was arranged, he waved a hand.

“All right. Follow my instructions. Fill your stomachs and leave immediately.”

“Yes!”

Everyone accepted the order.

[End of Chapter 152]